The Labor enquirer., 1887-08-13
FROM The YOUNG 'UN.
A Letter From Walter vrooman
the Boy Orator Of
Socialism.
Details or Some Practical Work Being
Done In the Slums or
New York.
Editor Labor Enquirer.

Editor Labor Enquirer.
Events are the real teachers.
Agitators may exhort the public
to heed certain facts, but it is the
fact, the event, not the words of
the agitator, from which the public
will draw its conclusions. We
may call attention to certain de-
velopments and make suggestions
as to the result, but the people
will become Socialists only by
seeing for themselves the develop
ment of the system and the ten
dency of events.
In striving to be factors in the
evolution of mankind we should
not only be interested in agitating
and promulgating our ideas, but in
aiding every new development
that in any way illustrates the ben
ehcial results of cooperation and
organization. Every enterprise
that serves as an object lesson in
illustrating the principles that are
to govern society in the future is
beneficial to our cause.
An enterprise that will prove in
teresting to all students of social
science has been started in a
thickly settled tenement house
district of New York by one Stan
ton Colt. Although a college
graduate his knowledge of politi
cal economy has not destroyed his
belief that the development of
noble specimens of the human
family is more important to the
welfare of nation than the rails
ing of fat hogs or fast horses. He
procured rooms about six months
ago in a tenement house situated
in that district that according to
Henry George is more densely
populated than any other square
mile on the earth's surface. He
rented small hall in the base
ment and began forming clubs of
the young men, boys and children
of the neighborhood for the pur-
pose of physical, intellectual and
moral culture. None can fully
appreciate the Importance of this
undertaking who are not familiar
with the terrible and unnatural
surroundings of the boys and girls
of the New York tenement dis
tricts.
There are generally two rows of
houses on each side of the street
from FIVE to ten stories high.
Whole families are crowded into
one and two rooms. The children
are not allowed to play in the mar
row yard between the front and
back row of houses as they would
scatter things around and be in
the way. II they start game in
the street they are arrested by
the first policeman who appears.
They cannot play inside as the
houses are crowded and the air
is bad. Their only alternative is
10 stand out in front of the house
or sit on the steps and shrivel up
in the sun. Under these circum-
stances it required very little
eoaxing to induce the children to
Join the kindergartens and clubs
organized for the purpose of a
good time and plenty of fun. Be-
sides their picnics and sports and
intellectual studies. the small chill
dren were taught wood carving,
clay modelling and other things
with which they can occupy their
time advantageously.
He organized a club of young
men who hitherto when they had
finished their days work had little
else To- do than to loaf around sa-
looms, quarrel, swear and laugh at
obscene stories. The club inau-
gurated weekly debate and
questions OF Importance were dis
cusses. The young fellows whose
ambition hitherto had been only
for immediate physical gratihca-
tion, caring little or nothing for